Thunderstorm
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: It was only a misunderstanding, but Lucy was heartbroken nonetheless. Hurt and angry, she turned away from the man she loves, not knowing how deeply her decision would affect him later. In the midst of this thunderstorm, will Lucy and Natsu ever get back together?


**This is a fanfiction that I had deleted on April 16 (I posted a notice on my profile page). However, someone messaged me and requested me to put this back up and I was more than happy to oblige. So... keeping it short, if anyone else would like me to bring back any fanfictions I'd previously deleted, feel free to PM me!**

**This is a heavily revised version because the first time was a little bad, which is why I deleted it in the first place. I have to admit, revising it is pretty fun. Anyway, I mostly revised the bottom half of it and I'm really proud of it. Hope you guys enjoy! Review please!**

* * *

**Thunderstorm**

I burst out of the school. The thunderclouds were dark overhead, and lightning forked in the sky as fat raindrops rained down.

Good; maybe then nobody could see my tears.

I could hear someone behind me calling my name, but I ran faster, pushing myself to the limit and going on even then. My breath seized and huffed out of me painfully but I didn't stop.

"Lucy! Stop!"

I glanced behind me and saw him running after me. Oh no, not him. I did NOT want to see him right now.

I tried pushing myself faster, but he was always more athletic and faster than me. He grabbed my wrist and spun me around so I stared into his face.

"Listen to me! It's a mistake!" he shouted, dark eyes desperate.

My eyes hardened and I tried jerking out of his grip but he didn't budge. "Oh sure," I said, my voice dripping sarcasm. "And I bet Gray strips just for laughs and Levy hides erotic magazines in her textbooks. Cut the crap, Natsu, and stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying!" He yelled, shaking me. "I swear I never kissed Lisanna. She kissed me!"

"Oh and I'm supposed to believe that?" I laughed, hearing a note of insanity in my voice. "That's what every cheating boyfriend says, Natsu. I would know!" I dropped my head, taking deep breaths through my sobs. "I would know, Natsu, I've had enough guys cheat on me ever since I was fifteen." I looked back up, but stared into the sky, letting the rain fall on my cheeks as they mixed with my tears. "When you came along, I thought, maybe this might be a new beginning for me; maybe I'll be able to find true love for once. I mean, I was so distrusting at first but you came after me and knew all the right things to say and do and I… I thought this time it'll be different. This time I won't get hurt." I shook my head. "I'm such an idiot."

Natsu stared at me, a heartbroken look on his face that I refused to look at. I could see him pleading with me and I found myself unable to look directly into his eyes."Lucy… I really did love you."

I continued on, ignoring him. "And then…everything I hoped for, everything I dreamed of… it was just taken away from me." My voice broke, but I swallowed and continued. "Do you know how much it hurt me? You are only my third boyfriend, but… I thought you were the one… I thought you were different from all the other boys." I shook my head again, crying harder than ever as my head lolled forward. I glared at him, summoning up my anger and staring straight into his stunned crying eyes, his wet spikes hanging limply over them. "How wrong I was."

I ripped my wrists out of his hands but he didn't move. He seemed to have frozen in place. "We're done, Natsu." I turned my back and strode away.

I didn't look back.

* * *

Plue snuffled at me, whining. I didn't move.

It was quiet in the house. Father wasn't back yet. The maids and servants were taking a break, no doubt discussing me as I walked in the house two hours ago dripping wet and crying. Spetto-san had given me a bath and helped me put on my favorite pink star-patterned pajamas and tucked me into bed, putting a mug of hot-now-cold chocolate on my nightstand.

My white Labrador barked and I wearily lifted up my head from my tear-soaked pillows. Erza was standing in the balcony, a giant blue umbrella over her head and a fat backpack over her shoulder. Levy, Cana, and Juvia were standing with her, grinning as they hefted backpacks of their own.

I sprinted over to them and threw open the French doors. "What are you guys doing here?"

Erza ducked in. "We came to be with you, as friends should." She and the rest of the girls shucked off their raincoats and boots and I whisked their wet things into the bathroom.

"We brought your favorite vanilla ice cream, some dark chocolate, popcorn, movies, drinks, books, anything you might need," Levy said, pulling out a jar of salsa and a bag of tortilla chips out of her bulging bag as she settled down on my bed.

"Juvia has brought The Phantom of the Opera," Juvia said, pulling out the movie edition of my favorite musical.

Cana pushed a 2-liter bottle of soda into my mini refrigerator in the corner of my room and threw a pack of popcorn into the microwave above it. She also stacked in several six-packs of beer into the fridge and got a plastic bag of heavy-duty plates, red plastic cups, and a roll of paper towels from a plastic bin next to it. We congregated in front of my huge flatscreen TV on the thick rug with a low circular table to hold our utensils.

We spent about five and a half hours watching movies and snacking on junk food and talking. They even got me truffles, cookie pops, and chocolate-dipped strawberries from Godiva.

"Thanks for everything, guys," I said gratefully as soon as we went through nearly half the movie stack. I scratched Plue's head as he gnawed on a rawhide bone and drooled on my sheets.

"No problem," Erza said, smiling at me. Cana was already passed out under the table, snoring. Juvia was texting Gray, no doubt telling him about everything over the last few hours.

I looked at Levy. She'd curled up on her side with her head on a fluffy blue star pillow, snuggled in between my sheets. Erza and I laughed and looked at the clock. It wasn't that late, but I bet she was tired from watching all those movies nonstop rather than the time. I yawned. "I'm going to sleep. I'm beat."

"Same here," Erza agreed. "Can I borrow your bathroom for a bit?"

I nodded and she stood, getting several toiletries from her backpack and disappearing into the bathroom.

"How's Gray?" I asked Juvia, just for something to do.

She glared. "You are not taking Gray-sama as your next boyfriend!"

I rolled my eyes. "Believe me, that is the last thing I'm thinking about."

Juvia smiled. "Juvia is happy. Gray-sama is with Natsu, Gajeel, and Jellal."

"Oh." My mood soured and we sat in awkward silence for a while, listening to the sound of water splashing in the sink as Erza brushed her teeth.

"Lucy, Gray-sama wanted Juvia to tell you that Natsu is very sorry for what he had done. Natsu did not kiss Lisanna because he truly loved you as much as I love Gray-sama," Juvia said a little tentatively.

"I can't believe that, Juvia," I said sadly. "I've been hurt enough. I'm done with guys."

"Lucy." Here Juvia grasped my hand. "Gray-sama wants you to at least talk to Natsu. Give him a chance to explain properly."

Erza appears and Juvia sank back to her original position. "I couldn't help but overhear," she said softly. She held up her phone. "Jellal texted me as well; he wants me to tell you that Natsu is suffering right now. Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel have already gotten into three fights, trying to calm him down."

"Why would he be upset? He has Lisanna now," I said bitterly, rolling around and staring up at the ceiling.

"He never loved Lisanna. Lisanna loved him," Erza said gently. "We all thought he would be alone, but then he found you and he changed. You don't know it, but he's made a lot of changes because of you. He stopped fighting with Gray and the others as much, he stopped eating messily… he even cleaned his room." Erza shook her head with amazement.

I shook my head as well, not wanting to listen because I knew that the more they said these things the more my heart wants to forgive Natsu, but Erza plowed on. "He's so gentle and caring around you, it's so unlike him. We can literally see the love he feels for you in his eyes and—"

"Lucy," Juvia interrupted. Her blue eyes were wide with shock as she stared at her phone's screen. "Natsu has become suicidal."

I froze. "He's… going to kill himself?" I choked out, bolting upright.

"Gray-sama just told me Natsu had tried walking in front of a moving truck a few hours ago. He was saved by Gildarts Clive." Erza's eyes widened at Juvia's words and she whipped out her own phone, furiously texting Jellal.

I stared at Juvia with horror. "He-He can't do that. W-Why…"

"After Natsu tried the first time, Gray-sama and Gajeel took him back to his house but he tried to cut his wrists," Juvia said, glancing up at me. "When Gray-sama asked him why he did that, he said that he didn't have anything to live for now that Lucy left him."

I started to sob quietly, the tears slipping down my cheeks. "But… he kissed Lisanna."

Erza shook her head. "I confronted Lisanna about it after I heard what happened from Mira and she confessed about kissing Natsu out of jealousy. She said she wanted you to walk in on her kissing Natsu, but she regrets it after seeing how much pain the two of you were in."

I scrambled off the bed, causing Plue to whine as his bone was knocked to the floor. Erza and Juvia stared. "I have to go," I said, snatching up my rain boots from my huge shoe rack.

"Lucy, it's pouring out there! You'll get a cold!" Erza protested.

"I don't care!" I went to the French doors. There was a tree by my balcony that I've climbed up and down several times over the years. It was also how the girls came up and even Natsu, when he snuck in to visit me.

"Lucy! You're going to get soaked! At least bring an umbrella and a coat!" Erza yelled, but I was already gone.

* * *

Running through the rain in pajamas was a first for me and quite uncomfortable since the wet fabric kept slapping against my skin, but I didn't care. There was almost nobody in the streets, which made it easy for me to navigate through them. Natsu lived twenty blocks away from me and, running at full speed, I got there in a little over half an hour.

I was completely soaked through and out of breath by the time I arrived in front of the Dragneel's house. Wheezing for breath, I knocked on the door.

Wendy, Natsu's little sister, answered the door. "Lucy-san!" she chirped happily, her eyes betraying her surprise at seeing me in such a disheveled state. "Are you here to see Natsu-nii? He's in the basement!"

I knew the basement is usually where he hung out with his friends, playing video games or brawling or doing whatever guys do. I could see light coming from the door of the basement and I could see the living room, where Romeo, Wendy's best friend, was snoring on the couch. The television was turned to Cartoon Network.

"Wendy," I puffed. "I… need… to see… Natsu."

"Come in!" She stood aside and I entered, but not before taking off my boots and emptying them of water in the porch outside.

"Wait here!" Wendy dashed upstairs and came back down with a fluffy towel. "Natsu-nii's with his friends."

I thanked her and walked with trembling steps to the basement, my heart going a million miles an hour.

I could hear them talking below, but I couldn't make out their words. I took a deep breath and walked down the staircase, turned the corner, and found Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal sitting on several of the comfortable squashy couches and armchairs surrounding the gamer's heaven that Natsu and Igneel had constructed over the years. Natsu himself was nowhere to be seen.

Jellal saw me first. "Lucy! What are you doing here?!" He looked at the forming puddle of water beneath my bare feet. "And why are you so wet?"

Natsu came out from the bathroom across the room from me, eyes red and exhausted, spiky hair drooping and shoulders hunching miserably. My heart twisted to see how utterly defeated he looked. I opened my mouth to say something but he caught sight of me. His eyes widened and he straightened, staring straight at me. I stared right back, unconsciously gripping the towel tighter around myself.

Gray cleared his throat. "Um… I guess we'll go." He went to Natsu and clapped his shoulder. "Good luck, man."

Jellal and Gajeel also said their goodbyes, but it was Gajeel who had a parting word for me. "Don't screw him up anymore," he said in my ear and left before I could reply.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Natsu walked over to me with slightly hesitant steps. "What are you doing here?" His voice was so hopeful and yet scared that my heart hurt again.

"I heard that you tried to kill yourself," I said, my lips barely moving.

He stared at me for a few more seconds then tentatively brushed a few wet strands of hair from my face. I noticed that his fingers trembled slightly and that they lingered over my cheek a little longer than necessary. "Come on let's get you some dry clothes," he said softly. My breath hitched; he was so close to me, but he looked away and led the way out of the basement. I swallowed, trying to hide my disappointment.

We went to his room, where he gave me an old gamer t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts while my pajamas hung in the bathroom to dry. I used a hair drier to blow-dry my hair and sat primly on his bed instead of sprawling all over it like I normally do. He sat down next to me— though he sat rather far away— and I stared out the window at the pattering rain. We fell into silence.

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" I finally whispered.

Natsu swallowed and looked down at his hands, which were clasped in front of him. I looked him over, lingering on how his perfectly tanned skin stretched over his toned arms and legs, the way his pink spikes were beginning to grow out a bit but only made him look handsomer, the way his eyes expressed the raw pain and sadness he was feeling right now and my chest tightened in response.

"I…" He nervously licked his lips. "After you left I just, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. I… I just felt like the world's worst boyfriend and that I— Lucy, you were _crying_. And it was because of _me._" Natsu closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. "When I first went out with you and you told me about your exes, I promised myself I would never ever make you cry and I did and I felt like such a _failure_." He swung his head towards me and stared at me with smoldering obsidian eyes. "I broke your heart, Lucy. I made you cry and I couldn't forgive myself. I'm a coward, Lucy. I couldn't deal with the guilt and the pain of never being with you again, never seeing you laugh at my jokes or holding you in my arms …" He turned back around again and lowered his head. "I tried to kill myself to end it."

I stared at him, my mouth dropping open. I had thought I had been in pain, but hearing the agony in every word, seeing such a strong person crumble from within, it literally broke my heart again.

Without second thought, I crawled to him and threw my arms around him, burying my face into his shoulder as tears began to sting my eyes. Natsu froze, tensing up.

"I'm sorry," I whispered brokenly, over and over. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Luce…" Natsu murmured. And then he was clutching me desperately to him and I could feel him tremble as his own sobs wracked his body and I turned my head to the side to kiss his neck as my hand reached up and buried itself into the rough silkiness of his hair. "Luce, I'm so sorry."

"I shouldn't ever have left you," I gasped, my own sobs shaking me to the core. "Oh God, Natsu, I'm so sorry—"

But he pushed me back and before I knew it, his lips were over my own in a deep soul-searing kiss and I kissed him back with everything I had in me, holding him against me so that he couldn't escape. His lips moved over my own and I melted in his arms as his tongue wrestled mine a bit before I allowed him to take control.

We broke away for air and I found myself straddling him with my arms around his neck and shoulders and his arms on my waist and hips and our foreheads leaning together. When had we gotten to this position? But I didn't care because Natsu had started nuzzling my neck and I gasped and arched my neck back.

He growled low in his throat and I shivered, closing my eyes. "Natsu…"

"I love you," he whispered into the hollow of my throat. "I love you so damn much."

"I love you too," I sighed contentedly, tilting my head so I could press my lips to his temple. My fingers traced the scar on the side of his neck and I could feel him jump slightly at the touch.

There was a crackle and the lights in Natsu's room went out. "Crap," he said. "Blackout. Stay here, I'll go see if Wendy and Romeo are alright." He gently maneuvered me so that I was once again sitting back down on the bed and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before leaving.

I flopped back down onto his red and black quilt, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I replayed the passionate kiss Natsu and I had shared not fifteen seconds ago. I felt my cheeks warm and I buried my face in his pillow, smelling his spicy cinnamon scent. My body felt alive and my heart pounded and a wide smile kept breaking across my face. I let out a tiny squeal and snuggled into his sheets, wrapping my arms around his pillow and burying my face into it.

"Hey Luce, I texted Mom and Dad and they said that you can stay over if your Dad's okay with it. The storm's gonna continue for the rest of the night so if you want to go home instead you can ask your Dad to pick you up or—" Natsu never got to finish as I leapt out of bed and threw myself at him in a big bear hug.

"How can I even think about leaving now?" Natsu chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. "How're Wendy and Romeo?" I asked.

"Sleeping. I threw some blankets over them so they should be fine. What about you, Luce? Do you wanna borrow one of the rooms?"

I bit my lip. "Can I stay with you?"

Natsu sucked in a sharp breath. "Sure."

I blushed and hugged him close, feeling content just by being in his arms. Natsu seemed to feel the same, for he held me tight and put his face in my hair, holding me as we swayed a little to the music of the rain and thunder. An especially loud clap made me jump a little and Natsu laughed. "Maybe we should sleep," I suggested.

He nodded and allowed me to slide in first. I turned to face him and scooted over into his embrace as soon as he got settled. Natsu made a noise of contentment in his throat and pressed his lips to my forehead in a lingering kiss. "Night, Luce."

"Night, Natsu." I shut my eyes and leaned into him as I drifted into sleep.

The last thing I felt was him tightening his arms around me in an unbreakable hold.

* * *

The next morning was bright and sunny, but something blocked the window, leaving me in shadow when I slowly woke. I could feel warmth and smell cinnamon and I felt more content than I've ever been in years.

I drifted in between sleep and reality for a while until I realized someone was stroking my hair. I cracked open my eyes to find Natsu looking down at me with such a tender loving expression in his face that my heart fluttered and my cheeks took on a red tinge.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning," I whispered back.

"How do you feel?"

"Happy," I replied simply. "Very, very, very happy."

Natsu grinned one of his full-toothed joyful grins that were my most absolute favorite part about him. "Same."

I nuzzled into his chest. "Let's stay like this for a while." I closed my eyes again, soaking up his warmth and reveling in the fact that we were once again together and this time more inseparable than ever.

"Sure, Luce," Natsu whispered. He held me close and I could feel him smiling again.

And I smiled too.


End file.
